Means for handling freight



. E. w. ERICKSON Y MEANS Fon HANDLING FREIGHT Fnecguy A16,l 1959 i s sheets-Shasta,

D@ 24, 1940-y -V w. ERICKSON 2,226,294`

MEANS FOR HANDLING FREIGHT Filed may 16. 1939' n s sheets-sheet :s

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, Invenzr Einar W Erickson Patented Dec. 24, 1940 UNITED ,STATES .PATISNT OFFICE 'l *I i j" 'A l2,226,294' v y yMEANS FORHANDLnml FREIGHT EinarW. Erickson, Port Townsend, Wash.'

Application May 1s, 1939, serial Naevs'ps 1 Claim. (Cl. 294-67) This invention relates to `the handling of freight, for example, bales, rolls ofl paper, small crates, and the like, where it is desirable to handle a number of similar bales, rolls or crates at a time. y

A particular application ofthis invention is its use in reference to the handling of rolls or balesv of paper in connection with the transferring of these from storage in the vmills or warehouses to the holds of ships for transportation purposes.

, Various methods and means have been employed heretofore for such purpose, in view ofthe desirability of handling a number of mlls'or bales at a timein order tofspeedup the loading operthis nature. 4

The object of` this invention, in general, is to provide a more eflicient method of handlingand loading freight of this and similar types to enable such diculties as those indicated above to be avoided.

simple andinexpensive means for carrying out such improved method. l K

These and incidental objects I attain by pro viding an improved` pallet board or 4storage and transfer platform l together with an improved cargo sling and associated means, to be described, and yby employing Atheseinthe manner to b e explained in the following description,'in

which reference is made tothe accompanying drawings. f

In the drawings: Fig. 1 is an isometric view of my improved. pallet board, which is employed as kthe preferred means for carrying out my method, the pallet board" here being shown with a quantity of rolls of paper (these being indicated in broken line) stacked thereon as during transfer or storage;

Fig. 2 is a corresponding end elevation of the pallet board;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of my pallet board and of my improved cargo sling illustrating the use of the two in combination; and

Fig. 4 is a view further illustrating the carrying out of my method and showing the manner in strictions oncold methodsr kof handling cargo of A further robject of this invention is to provide l which the loady is handled when being deposited by the cargo sling prior to the releasing of the sling. f

Referring first to Figs. 1 and 2, my palletboard comprises a rigid platform-like structure consisting of any suitable base III, a slotted floor or deck II, and supporting sills I2, I2; and may be conveniently built up of wooden planks and. timbers in the form shown. The base IIIpreferably has a plane bottom so as to enable it to rest on stacks of goods in a warehouse, and the sills I2, I2 are made suiiciently thick to permit the l entrance of the elevating prongs of an end lift or tiering truck-between the base I0 and deck II when the pallet board isk to` be moved .about with its load'st-acked thereon.

The deck Il is formed of side piecesy I3 and I4 and a. center `plank (or group of planks) I5.

These members are'preferably of greater length than the base members to provide an overhang along two edges as shown, and these members are so spaced asto form two symmetrically arranged and equal-sized,y spaces I6 and II in the deck extending in the direction shown.

In practical us'e, the goods to be stored and subsequently shipped, such as the rolls of Apaper i1- lustrated, are stacked on the deck I I o'f the palletA board."` .These pallet boards with their loads can then be moved from place to place or piledV one upon the .other in the storage warehouse by end llift Vtrucks in the usual manner.

The slots I6 and I1 In the deck. of the pallet board are made to accomodate a movable door boardwhich constitutes the bottom member I8 (see Figs. 1, 2 and 3) of my cargo sling." 'I'his bottom memberl I8L of the cargo sling" is' made substantially'the samelength as the deck boards I3, Il andv I5 of the pallet board and is adapted, by suitable .reduction in width and thickness, to be slidingly inserted in the slots I6 Aand II'in the Pallet boardiand thus rest on' the sills I 2, I2 directlybeneath the rolls of paper lox' other goods piled on one-half of the pallet board." v

In'addition to the bottom boardA I8 the cargo sling comprises a load-top/engaging member or topboard I 9 and means for drawing the two boards toward each other so as to securely 4clamp the loadibetween them. The top board I9 is of `practically the same proportions as the bottom board I8. At opposite corners o f the top board anchorages for the ends of the rop'es 22 and 23 are formed as at 20 and .MJ-"The ropes 22 and 23 extend downwardly fromv these anchorages and pass around sheaves-of the fall blocks 24 and 25 and then extend upwardly thru enlarged apertures 26 and 2l in the top board I9 to the auxiliary rings 23 and 23. The auxiliary rings 28 and 29 are connected to the main ring 38 at the top of the cargo sling by short ropes 3I and 32. Chains 33 and 34 are securely attached at the bottom of the fall blocks 24 and 25 and carry hooks 35 and 36, respectively, at their lower ends, substantially as shown in Fig. 3. These hooks are adapted to engage metal bales 31 or any other suitable fixtures, lrmly disposed in the slotted ends of the bottom board I8.

The cargo sling is connected to a hook 38 (see Figs. 3 and 4) of the usual hoisting line 39, for example, the hoisting line of a ships winch, by means of either the main ring 30 or the auxiliary rings 28 and 29. The main ring 30 is used for loads of normal height and the auxiliary rings 28 and 29 may be used for lower loads. In the latter case the two rings 28 and 29 are brought together at the hook 38 and the main ring 38 is allowed to hang free. In either case an effective grip is obtained between the top and bottom boards I9 and I8.

When the cargo sling is empty, the top and bottom boards are prevented from being drawn unnecessarily close together by the buttons or stops 40 and 4I which are firmly secured in the proper position on the ropes 22 and 23 between the sheaves of the blocks 2 4 and 25 and the apertures 26 and 21 of the top board, and thus,- as these portions of the ropes are pulled upwardly, the buttons 40 and 4|.will come into contact with the top board I9 and effectively prevent further movement of theV bottom board and top board towards each other. g 1

When the vrolls of paper, or other goods, piled on the pallet board are to be loaded, 4for example, into the hold of a vessel for transportation, I move the pallet board with the rollsor goods thereon in the usual manner by means of an end lift truck or similar device to the ships side on the wharf. The cargo sling, which is attached to the hoisting line 39 of the ship, is then lowered over the pallet board" and the hooks 35 and 3B are vdetached to permit the load-supportable fioor on bottom board I8 to be inserted in the deck space I6 under the rolls of paper or goods stacked directly above. Then the hooks 35 and 36 are reattached and the load located above the bottom board I8 is ready to be lifted. As the ships hoist line is pulled upward, the top board I9 of the cargo sling will be drawn downwardly and the bottom board I8 drawn upwardly until these boards press tightly on the top and bottom of the interposed load. However, since .only the flattop and bottom boards engage the load, there will be no danger during this portion of the operation of damaging the load. This is an important feature. Furthermore, the load eannot become dislodged and fall out of the cargo sling during the transfer of the load from the "Pallet board to the ship as long as there is a pull on the hoisting line. As the pull on the hoisting line continues, thru the operation of the ships winch, the sling and interposed load are raised as shown in Fig. 3. The load is lifted clear of the ships side, swung up over the hold and then lowered so as to land in the hold.

Fig. 4 illustrates the manner in which I prefer to deposit the load in the ships hold. A mat 42, made to serve as a cushion, is laid in the hold and the cargo sling lowered so that theload rests on this mat. Continued lowering of the cargo sling permitsthe load to assume the inclined position shown in Fig. 4 and nally to come to rest on its side. During all this time, however, the clamping action of the sling retains the rolls of paper or other articles constituting the load in position until they have been brought to rest on the mat as mentioned. Slackening of the hoist line will now permit one of the hooks 35 or 36 to be disconnected: or will permit the top and bottom portions I9 and I8 to be slid up ofi of the load entirely, thus completely releasing the cargo sling from the load. The rolls of paper or other articles can then, if desired, be moved into other parts of the ships hold. Meanwhile, the cargo sling is returned to the dock and the other haii of the pallet board load is transferred to the ships hold in the same manner. 'I'he entire load carried on the pallet board may, however, be removed at one time, if desired, by using two cargo slings coupled to the same hoisting line. When my method and means are to be employed for unloading cargo from a ships hold, the reverse order is followed. Thus the number of rolls or bales, for example, which it is desired to handle at a time are placed together, the bottom and top portions of my cargo sling are placed in position around the same, the sling is tightened, and lifted with its load. The load is pulled up out of the ships hold and deposited on the pallet board on the wharf, the bottom board I8 being brought down into one of the slots I6 or I1 of the "pallet board; the cargo sling" is loosened, the bottom board is slid out from under the load, and the sling is returned to the ships hold to repeat the operation.'

Various 'modifications might be made in both my "cargo sling" and in the pallet board" used in carrying out my method, without departing from the principle of my invention. These means which I have shown I have iound to be. very satisfactory, and the form and construction of both cargo sling and pallet board illustrated in the attached drawings I regard as the preferred form. It is not my intention, however, to limit my invention otherwise than as set forth in the claim;

I claim:

A loading platform, comprising side base bars, a plurality o! spaced main bars connecting the side base bars and secured thereto, one or more supplemental bars adapted to be interposed in the space or spaces between the main bars and supported on the side base bars or removed therefrom at will, the thickness of the supplemental bars being less than the thickness of. the adjacent main bars to facilitate positioning the supplemental bars under a load on the platform or removal of said supplemental bars from under a load, the supplemental bar or bars forming part of the platform when loading, and means at opposite ends of each supplemental bar for attachment of sling mechanism to lift the load from the platform.

EINAR W. ERICKSON. 

